PunchTab Extends Platform to TV

Amberly Dressler

Posted on 4.27.2014

Digitally connected fans aren't just watching TV shows anymore. They are live tweeting them, sending text messages about them and engaging with the series in some other virtual way. Brands just haven't really caught on enough to make that engagement meaningful to their bottom lines.

Tying campaigns to television storylines, however, allows forward-thinking agencies to transform the way fans get invested in a TV series, according to Rebecca Coleman, founder of Something Massive.

PunchTab – an omnichannel engagement and insights platform – is introducing a second-screen experience that extends its platform to TV. PunchTab customers can now synchronize immersive customer experiences across mobile Web and companion apps with live television viewing, boosting in-episode engagement.

“Getting viewers to tune-in is only half the battle,” said Ranjith Kumaran, founder and CEO of PunchTab. “Most brands and agencies concede that today’s world of shrinking digital attention spans requires a perpetual cycle of engagement with viewers—before, during and between episodes. The difficulty however, is in crafting campaigns that translate the vision of a TV series across second screen experiences and keep viewers coming back for more. PunchTab now gives this ability to any brand or agency, while providing them a way to better understand how viewers are engaging."

PunchTab is staying true to its rewards roots, however, as viewers can earn rewards for specific actions such as using a branded hashtag (for example if AMC was using the PunchTab platform, its users could be rewarded for using #TheMorningAfter hashtag - pictured), checking-in on mobile apps, inviting friends and more. This activity gives viewers a way to interact, while giving brands sophisticated insights into how and where consumers are engaging with content.